What does it take for a school district to be able to offer fresh, local, unprocessed food to its students? Chaffee County, Colorado found that the key ingredients are supportive school district administration, a strong school wellness policy, a food service director and staff passionate about incorporating locally grown foods into school meals, and buy-in from local residents, businesses, and nonprofits.
Farm To School
The term “farm to school” refers to efforts that bring local or regionally produced foods into school cafeterias and provide hands-on learning activities such as gardening, cooking classes, and food-related education in schools. Farm-to-school strategies are gaining momentum across the country as a way to both improve student wellness and boost local economies.
These initiatives require sustained collaboration between policymakers, the business sector, and community stakeholders to support changes in food access and student dietary behavior. The farm to school efforts in Chaffee County, Colorado provide an example of just such a successful collaboration. Read More…
August 12, 2015
By Lisa Harner, Elena Kuo, Lisa Malde, and Kelly Landau
